Job Description

Job Title

Position Title: Deputy Executive Director of Operations - Exceptional Student Education

Location: 4701 McKinley, Detroit MI 48208

Salary: $111,190 - $159,276

Reports to: Senior Executive Director, Exceptional Student Education or designee

Bargaining Unit: N/A

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Telecommuting Eligibility: This is a site-based position. Telecommuting may be permitted on an occasional basis but is not a regular arrangement.

The Opportunity:

Nearly 8,000 DPSCD students with IEPs depend on Exceptional Student Education (ESE) operations working - and the Deputy Executive Director - Operations is where that work gets built. In this role, you will design and build the structures, processes, and data systems that make ESE run reliably, compliantly, and at a level of excellence that Detroit's students and families deserve.

This is a division-wide leadership role with broad authority and high visibility. You will lead the operational engine of ESE: staffing and recruitment, paraprofessional training, family and constituent engagement, internal communication, and student data systems and you will own the continuous improvement of how the entire organization works. Reporting to the Senior Executive Director, you will serve as a senior member of the ESE leadership team and a key partner in advancing the District's goals for students with disabilities.

You are a strategic, systems-minded leader who builds order out of complexity. You communicate clearly, resolve conflict calmly, and let data drive your decisions. You are energized by the work of improving how a large organization operates, and you bring the judgment to manage sensitive, high-stakes operational matters with professionalism and care.

What Success Looks Like:

Success in this role is ongoing, not a one-time milestone. When the Deputy Executive Director - Operations is leading at a high level:

• ESE operations run on clear, well-documented systems that staff understand, trust, and use every day - the organization is carried by reliable systems, not by heroics.
• Teams are fully and appropriately staffed, and paraprofessionals and staff are well-trained, supported, and set up to succeed.
• Families and constituents receive timely, accurate, and respectful responses, and confidence in ESE continues to grow.
• ESE data - including Medicaid billing, student placement, and PowerSchool Special Programs - is accurate, current, secure, and compliant, and leaders make decisions from reliable, real-time information.
• Key performance indicators are tracked and reported transparently, and the division identifies and solves problems before they escalate.
• Work across ESE measurably improves over time, and the systems in place make the next improvement easier than the last.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree required. Master's Degree strongly preferred (Educational Leadership, Special Education, Public Administration, or a related field preferred).
• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience, including a minimum of three (3) years of supervisory experience and experience leading operations at scale. Preference for administrative experience in public education.
• Demonstrated experience designing, building, and implementing organization-wide systems, processes, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience leading recruitment and staffing, professional learning (including paraprofessional training), parent and family engagement, and constituent response.
• Demonstrated experience developing, tracking, and reporting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and using data to drive decision-making.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to model effective organizational systems for others.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, and strong customer service skills.

Essential Functions:

Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Provide executive leadership and oversight for all ESE operations, ensuring the organization runs smoothly and strategically.
• Design, build, and continuously improve systems, structures, and processes across all of ESE to strengthen the quality, consistency, and efficiency of work organization wide.
• Develop, refine, and implement operations policies, administrative guidelines, and manuals; ensure adherence and recommend improvements as needed.

People & Talent

• Lead ESE staff recruitment and staffing strategy in partnership with the Office of Human Resources; oversee job postings, hiring processes, and onboarding to ensure ESE is fully and appropriately staffed.
• Oversee the development and delivery of paraprofessional (para) training and professional learning; monitor completion and effectiveness and adjust based on data.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate operational directors, supervisors, and staff; build and sustain a high-performing operations team.

Family & Constituent Engagement

• Lead ESE parent and family engagement strategy and initiatives to strengthen partnerships between families and the District.
• Direct the constituent response system and serve as a senior point of escalation for constituent questions and concerns, ensuring timely, high-quality resolution.
• Oversee internal communication with all ESE staff, ensuring information is shared clearly, consistently, and in a timely manner across the organization.

Data, Systems & Accountability

• Provide management-level oversight of ESE Information Systems and student data, including Medicaid billing, student placement, and the administration of PowerSchool Special Programs, ensuring accuracy, integrity, security, and compliance.
• Establish, track, and report Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); analyze operational data and produce reports for ESE and District leadership that conspicuously identify problem areas and drive continuous improvement.

Operational Oversight & Support

• Oversee operational support for enrollment, facilities, field trips, special events, Special Olympics, and ESE technology, as applicable.
• Support the ESE department with the development and execution of crisis management plans; assist on-site and remotely in the event of a crisis.
• Ensure documented policies and guidelines related to investigations of alleged student misconduct, staff misconduct, or Title IX matters are followed; liaise with relevant central office departments when necessary.
• Collaborate with and support ESE central office and school-level administrators to manage and resolve conflict among constituents in a timely manner.
• Proactively and consistently communicate with the Senior Executive Director and ESE Lead Administrators regarding operational matters requiring immediate follow-up.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Executive Director or designee.

Security Clearance:

Internal Applicants

If you are a current Detroit Public Schools Community District employee, you do not have to submit to a new security clearance, unless your new role requires a different type of criminal background check.

External Applicants

In alignment with Michigan law, if you are hired to fill a position, you will be required to submit to a Detroit Public Schools Community District criminal background check. Information regarding required background checks will be shared at point of hire.

Method of Application:

Applicants must apply through the online application system. Only applications submitted through the online application system will be considered for any posted position and all applications require a resume to be considered.

Successful candidates are required to submit official transcript(s) at point of offer to hire. Teaching service outside of the Detroit Public Schools Community District must be verified by the applicant's prior employer(s) prior to hire. It is the applicant's responsibility to provide all documentation (including copies) as requested.

Applicants requesting assistance during the application process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email at [email protected] or phone at (313) 873-6897.